Michigan Green Infrastructure Guide 2022

Allowing for Participation in District-Scale Stormwater Management Plans In some communities, there are large planning and redevelopment areas (e.g., brownfields or other former commercial and industrial areas) that are zoned at a district-scale, using overlay districts, incentive zoning, or other land use tools. Often these areas have multiple property owners, may have separate district master plans, and could be fully developed in phases. In these situations, there are significant ecological, infrastructure, and cost benefits for planning green infrastructure across the district (including public and private areas) and allowing developers to participate in the proposed green infrastructure elements identified for the district as their regulatory requirements. The City of Detroit, for example, took this approach through its Greater Eastern Market Neighborhood Framework and Stormwater Management Network Plans (SWMNP). The plan “proposes guidelines that will eventually result in the creation of a network of owner-constructed green spaces to aid in the management of stormwater” throughout the district (p. 108). It provides specific green infrastructure guidelines that supplement the City of Detroit Stormwater Regulations for developers. Communities wishing to enable district-scale stormwater management as part of their RRC certification should update zoning for these large redevelopment areas or districts to include a detailed green infrastructure plan that can be implemented over a longer-term scale as individual sites are developed. Renewable Energy Renewable energy is energy produced from sources like the sun and wind that are naturally replenished and do not run out. Renewable energy development, particularly solar and wind projects, are rapidly growing in Michigan as costs have decreased, technology has improved, and the public’s interest in cleaner energy and climate reduction has grown. The state recently published its MI Healthy Climate Plan which includes plans to reduce GHG emissions 28% below 2005 levels by 2025 and 52% by 2030, and ultimately achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. 4 Renewable energy is a key part of meeting these carbon neutrality goals. Michigan’s utilities have also established bold plans to expand renewable energy throughout the state in the coming decade, including both wind and solar power. Consumers Energy for example has made a commitment to use 90% renewable energy by 2040. 5 DTE currently has 18 wind parks and 32 solar parks generating renewable power for over 670,000 homes—and they plan to double 4 Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy. (2022). MI Healthy Climate Plan . https://www.michigan.gov/ egle/-/media/Project/Websites/egle/Documents/Offices/OCE/MI Healthy-Climate-Plan.pdf?rev=d13f4adc2b1d45909bd708cafccbfffa. 5 Consumers Energy. https://www.consumersenergy.com/community/ sustainability/our-hometown-stories/renewable-revolution.

City of Bay City Zoning Code Section 122-602 and 122-622: Wind Energy and Solar Systems Wind conversion/solar systems may be erected, relocated, enlarged, structurally changed or altered in accordance with the provisions of this article.

that in the next few years. 6 And an increasing number of businesses and homeowners are seeking to add renewable energy on-site to their own properties. As more utilities, businesses, and homeowners have pursued renewable energy projects, communities have often found themselves unprepared for how to address related planning, zoning, and siting issues. A 2019 survey done by the University of Michigan Graham Institute, on behalf of the state, found that “fewer than 20% of Michigan communities have zoning regulations in place to address all scales of solar energy systems.”7 A 2020 MSU study found that “as of December 2019, less than half of all Michigan communities had adopted wind energy zoning ordinances.”8 Given the sometimes-contentious local debates around proposed solar or wind projects, proactively evaluating what type of renewable energy will be permitted in your community and where/how it should be located will help make the process smoother, reduce time and costs for all parties, and minimize disagreements between property owners. There are numerous local considerations for how to incorporate renewable energy into community master plans and zoning codes, including issues around noise, size of systems, accessory versus primary uses, farmland preservation, and more. The University of Michigan and MSU Extension zoning guides for solar and wind energy referenced above are both valuable tools for communities to use in evaluating renewable energy planning and zoning options. Both guides provide sample ordinance language for various types of renewable energy systems. 6 DTE Renewable Energy. https://www.newlook.dteenergy.com/ wps/wcm/connect/dte-web/home/community-and-news/common/ renewable-energy/introduction. 7 Michigan Office of Climate and Energy. (2019). Michigan Zoning Database. Available at https://www.michigan.gov/climateand- energy/0,4580,7-364-85453_85458-519951--,00.htm and Michigan State University Extension/University of Michigan Graham Institute (2021). Planning and Zoning for Solar Energy Systems: A Guide for Michigan Local Governments. https://www.canr.msu.edu/planning/uploads/files/ SES-Sample-Ordinance-final-20211011-single.pdf. 8 Michigan State University Extension. October 6, 2020. Sample Zoning for Wind Energy Systems. https://www.canr.msu.edu/outreach/uploads/ files/wind%20sample%20zoning%2010062020_FINAL.pdf.

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